The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-11-11
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.


0ou1h Foureeenth street hurled famuy
from their peaceful sissp into the dreedfnL
slumssr q oesrnisy. H. prsnisss above
msnsionsd-a two-sfor3 brick strucscre-
was occupied b. Michael Newman andns
family, tho nrst door = : grocsry store.
che uppsr story - the slesping apartments
q ehe family. n. Newman wns > msn
a about flfty-dve. his wife was aged to!tys
and ~ children vers Mamie = kn =.
twenty; John. eightssn; NsIl'e. n.sssc
Edward twelve: and Kase. IN 49, ~
ehsss vers buried in the wreck.
Tns cau<s of the sxplosioa will perhaps
pexsr Be- known: ifs effects can alone b
measured. These were frightful in the
extreme. The entire front Of the house
vas ahatfsred into fragments and the
brichs thrown far out into the street. NOS
: stone was left in place and the timber
N the building was dashed into tnou-
sand jagged splintsr< The explosion 49,
Aisfincfly heard - Tar east - the levee.
and every pane OF glass within : radius
q two blocks was completely shasterea-
Surmisss were freely made - % the origin
Of the catastrophe Mr. Nswman's stock
was such - Il usually found In small gro
ceries. and included the usual assortment
Of oils aud Sasolines- Possibly there was
= small quantity Of powder. Al Al
eveut~. The vide extent Of the ruin, ana
the tremendous power exerted by the ex :
ulosive-whatever its nature-seemsd 90
po;nt 70 something that possessed ~ o.
fhe destructive powers Of dynamite
Almost simultaneously with the crash
What told IL falling wallis : bright sheet OF
Aame dared I'd. and in second the Sea-
.oned timbers, finely splintered. began 70
burn furiously. BY this time an oficer
ned turned IN an alarm. and an engine -
sponded. The lremen worked with an
ensrxy born Of . desire 90 rescue fellow
beings from . death whose horrors are in
Desirable. Above the cracking Of the
Gamss could b heard the means and
cries Of the imprisoned unfortunafes,
some Of whom we're pinned 20 the esrfn
by heavy beams, and others Of whom
were buried beneath . mountain Of brick
mortar and debris One man seemed %
emerge from the very jaws Of the merry
furnace ard his appearance vas
xrestsd with heartfelt cheers
BY this time other engines
v~rs n hand. several streams wcre play
ing and . number Of ready hands we're
pulling away as the encountered wreck
he flames were quickly quenchcd and thu
work q extricating the dead and wound
"a was af once commenced BY The dre
men,
Pieces Of bricks. glass. widow sashes
doors. rafters. frames and every thing
u~sd II the construction OF building wer'
scattered IN profusion On Fourteenfl
street, as far north - Chestnut stree
and south TO Walnut. On Four
tenth street. Immediately in from
Of the raxed building, which. but
lev minutes before stood firm enough Q
stand any ordinary shock, the saddles
sight was vet 20 Be seen, and upon ap
uroachinx the wreck the heartrending CT
vas heard: -For Gods sake, take me out
lam smothering.-
On the arrival Of the IRE department
the debris presented . fearfully confuse
tate. There was but little fire apparent
and that was in the rear Of the ruins nea
the narrow street which runs directly b
hind the buildings. The No IA Engin
Company exfinxuished IL in few sec
oods. while the other 6rsmen who r
~nonded to the alarm were busilv er
rn-ed digging in the debri
6or the bodies Of the unfortur
afes Who were quietly sleepin
N their apartments when the fearful 81
pso<ion occurred The rsscuing part
could hear tile victims groauing und'
che ruins. and worked like only detirmis
a usn can work when occasion Of q
Wind renders il : necessity. Mrs. Wiisc
wax assisted out ~ the ruins. with sever
ruts On her face and bead. and faints
several times She was taken 20
drug store. and on recovering sum
ssutiv 70 speak said that NewmAn ~
Ms wife and six children were bur''
under the ruins She also said that >
feared that Mr. and Mrs g n Dsve'
Miss Bryan and Miss Berxiey
No were also buried Tbs inf'
~n.sion was given 20 the freme
~rd thew r<doubled their energies 20 r.
cge the victims before Il was too u
Misses BerxeIy and Bryan were tax
crt onlv siiRhtiy scratched. but nothi
~cuId 81 seen Of the Deverss. !
6remsn working in the mol
corner q the ruins were q 40
oniv few minutes when they lifted
the body Of Miss Mamie Newman, ~
6fteen years she was burned and M
xIed IN : horrible manner, but was
conscious. she was placed on strsscl
ana t<nderiy removed 20 IN ambuian
wh;ch conveyed her 20 the dispense
80 was removed 20 the hospital n
a~inr condition Her elder sister. Mel
ared eighteen years. was next taken
a ~ ~sne corner. They had shared
-.ms room and bed and
oalv few feet apart
reached bY the hremen. 7
Nellie wss taken to the dispsnsary n
extra ambulance which had been 2.
~ Tor the re movai Of tho bodies, ann
49, conscious. and begged 60 b sur
ovsr On her side. - her back Vas pai'
her terribly. She was sent 90 she nosI
cnIv 4 lev minutes after her unfc-su
~isfer. when one Ambulance was cor
towards the dispsnsarv With one -
.auother was leaving Tor the hospital
AZ ais q m. the force Of IRENE
work IN the center Of the wrecked So
which che victims slept had cseered :
Nth the use Of axes, SAWS graphing
Ana ropes : space probably ssn
.ouare. A faint cry Of agony suos
"A. heard a. heavy timbsrs wsr
moved A bed. crushed % ths nccr
Srund- On Which che man1led- p
~c~rrc~ 81 Michael Newman and ~
Annie lsy lifsless- The CRY that DO
1900 cane from child, mot ye! re
The rrnains q Newman and hls
~ers coon extricafsd, carried out
maffress. placed IN a Ambulance
Ariveu % chs morgue-
- bodiss d the mother and
IA ehs lit1Ie daughter knus wers
n - than {rtKE